Visible guide for vessels

ABSTRACT

6171. Hammond, J. H. March 24, 1913, [Convention date]. Lamp signals; aeronautic and road - vehicle signals.-In a method of controlling from a distance movable bodies such as torpedoes, submarines, aircraft, and road vehicles, the movable body carries a source of light which is caused by gyroscopic means to point in a fixed direction, thus indicating its position to the controlling-operator, while being invisible to the enemy. The light 28 and its reflector 48 are carried by a circular framework 44 connected by gearing to gyroscopic apparatus 30. The frame 44 is mounted on bearings on the mast 20 so that it can move relatively to the controlled body. The light may be surrounded by a casing 26 containing several windows 50, 58 of different colour, so that the controlling-operator receives an indication as to the direction of movement of the body.

l. H. HAMMOND, Jn. VISIBLE GUIDE FOR VESSELS.

APPLICATION FILED www4. 191s. nzuewso oc. 15.1911.

1 ,357,976. Patented Nov. 9, 1920.

2 SHEETS--SHEET l.

'1. H. HAMMOND, Jn. VISIBLE G`U|DE FOR VESSELS. APPLICATION FILED MAR. 24. 1913. RENEwED ocT. 15. 1911.

1,357,976. Paenwa Nov. 9, 1920.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

I nu 4 loz WMM@ r UNITE OFF VISIBLE GUIDE EOB. VESSELS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 9, 1920.

Application led March 1913, Serial No. 756,273. Renewed October 15, 17917. Serial No. 196,736.

T o all whom it may concer/n Be it known that I, JOHN HAYS HAM- MoND, Jr., a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Gloucester, in the county of Essex and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Visible Guides for Vessels, of which the following is a specification.

vMy invention relates to visible gui-des which are used to guide vessels from a distance, and relates more particularly to uides on torpedoes, torpedo boats and other vessels controlled from a distance, either by wire or by radiant energy, said guides, herein shown as guide lights, being intended to be invisible to the enemy but visible to the observers at the controlling station, either on shore or on another vessel, from which the movements of saidtorpedoes and .other vessels are controlled and directed. It will be apparent, however, that the invention is equally applicable to air craft and land vehicles controlled and driven in any suitable manner by means of wires or radiant energy or other suitable means. The type of guide herein disclosed, being a light, is particularly intended for use at night.

In the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1 shows, partly in diagrammatic form, a warship and the course of an attacking torpedo or other craft with my guide li ht.

gFig. 2 shows a torpedo or submarine vessel equipped with my guide light.

Fig. 3 shows an elevation, partly in section, of my guide light and mast and the operating mechanism.

Fig. 4 shows a horizontal section, on the line 4 4 of Fig. 3, of my guide light and mast and window frame and other attachments.

Fig. 5 shows an outside View of the mast and the window frame surrounding the li ht.

n Fig. l, S is an enemys warship, T1, T2 and T3 are successive positions of an attacking torpedo or other craft, directed andvcontrolled from the shore station O, and L1, L2 and L3 are successive positions of my guide light, which is seen to be always directed toward the station O', whatever the course of the torpedo, and always invisible to the enemy. y

In F 2, T is a torpedo or submarine `boat with two masts M and M1. A is an antenna for receiving radiant energy. On the main mast M is fixed a frame F, containing glass windows of Various colors and surrounding the light L.

In Figs. 8, 4 and 5, M is a hollow mast,

G represents a. casing adapted to contain4 any well-known mechanism controlled by a gyroscope, and which is connected in any suitable manner with the bevel gearing C. The vertical shaft I) connects bevel gearing C with bevel gearing E, and the latter is connected by means of the shaft H with the gear wheel or pinion I, which gears with a circular rack J on the underside of the circular framework or wheely K. Framework K can rotate on ball bearings B B around lthe mast M, and it supports the guide light L, which is provided with a combined screen and reiector It, which allows its rays to be Aemitted in only one direction. A frame F,

fixed to the mast M, contains windows W, W1, WZ, W3,W4, W5, W6 and W7, preferably of glass each having a distinctive color.

The gyroscope is set so that when it is in operation it will hold the light L in such a position that its rays are directed toward the controllin station. When the torpedo changes its 'irection,q the gyroscope will maintain its fixed azimuth, and the mast M and gearing C and E will turn with reference vto the gyroscope. The gear wheel I will therefore turn the circular framework K carrying the light L so that the latter continues to face toward the controlling station. The frame F turns with the mast, and so different colored windows will be brought in front of the light L, and in this way the observer at the controlling station can determine the direction in which the torpedo is` for local attraction.

W2, W3, W4, W5, W6 and WV? maybe made. of any other suitable transparent substance suitable and convenient manner.

sel, swings around, and thus control mecha, nisms which will turn the light relatively to` the vessel in such a Way that the light Will continually face in the same direction. The compass needle can be inclosed in an iron case or otherwise protected from neighboring magnetic fields, or may be compensated The Windows W, W1,

besides glass, such as mica, and need not all be colored, and some of the Window openings need not be glazed. p

Instead of a light L, I can use a receiver of light, such as the selenium cells shown in my application' for United States Letters Patent Serial No. 702,174, which will then continually face toward the source of light that affects them and so get the full 'benefit of the radiant energy, except when they are purposely screened therefrom.`

My guide light may be appliedv to air craft and to land vehicles as Well as to marine vessels, and these craft, vehicles or vessels may be controlled from the operating station by means of Wires or by radiant-.energy and may be driven and steered in any The mast, gearing, window frame and other parts of my apparatus and mechanisms may be altered as found suitable in any given case, and in general, I do not confine myself to the particular apparatus and mechanisms here shown, but various changes and modifications, Within the knowledge of those skilled in the art, may be made in the particular apparatus shown and described herein, Without departing from the spirit of my invention, provided the means set forth in the following claims be employed.

Having thus described `my invention, I claim l. In a system of distance control of vessels, a vessel containing a gyroscope which maintains a fixed azimuth, a source of light, transmission mechanism connecting said gyroscope with said source of'light, and a plurality of Windows about said source of light.

2. An automatic guide light, comprising a source of light, a screen which permits the raysfrom said light to be emitted in only one direction, a plurality of Windows surrounding said source of light, a gyroscope which maintains a fixed azimuth, and means for connecting said gyroscope with said source of light.

3. An automatic guide light for moving bodies, comprising a source of light, a movable body rotatable With reference to said source of light, a screen surrounding said source of light on all sides except one and which is fixed with reference to said source of light, a plurality of Windows surrounding said source of light and revoluble With reference thereto, said Windows being adapted to contain indicating devices, a gyroscope which maintains a fixed azimuth, and means for connecting said gyroscope with said'source of light.

4. The combination with avessel, of a pilot light mounted on said vessel, means on said vessel' for maintaining a fixed azimuth operatively connected with said light to control the direction of the rays emitted therefrom, and indicating devices fixed to the vessel and having independent movement relative to said source of light.

5. The combination With a vessel, of a pilot light mounted on the vessel, a screen for said light fixed relatively thereto and having a single port for the passage of the rays'of light, means for causing said port to point in a'fixed direction independently of movement of the vessel, and indicating devices fixed to the vessel and having movement relative to said port.

6. In a system of distance' control of movable bodies, a body adapted to be controlled from a distance and providedv With a direction-indicating light, means associated With said light to effect differentiation in the apparent color thereof dependent upon the direction of movement of said body, and means operatively connected With said light to maintain the latter pointed in afixed direction.

7. In a system of distance control of movable bodiesgra body adapted to be controlled from a distance and provided with a direction-indicating guide, and means associated With said guide to effect differentiation in the visible effect thereof, dependent upon the y direction of vmovement of said body, and means operatively connected with said guide to maintain the latter pointed With a fixed direction.

8. The combination With a movable body,-

of position indicating means carried by said body and having a portion movable With respect to said body, in a predetermined path, stabilizing means arranged to control said first mentioned means. and means to effect a variation in the visibility of said first mentionedV means as a result of the rotation of said body in a given direction.

' 9. The combination With a movable body,

of position indicating means carried by said body and having a portion movable with respecty to said body, stabilizing means arranged to control the relative position of said postion indicating means with to said body, and means to vary the apparent visibility of said position indicating means as a result of a rotation of said body about a given axis.

10. The combination With a movable body, of means for Vprojecting a beam of light from said body, of means automatically operative to stabilize said beam, and means for respect varying the visibility of said beam as a beam as a result of a rotation of said body result of a rotation of said body with respect with respect to said beam. 10

to said beam. i This specification signed and witnessed 11. The combination with `a movable this 18th day of March, A. D. 1913.

body, of means for projecting a beam of JOHN HAYS HAMMOND, JR.

light from said body, of means automati- Witnesses:

cally operative to stabilize said beam, and M. P. WINNE,

means for varying the apparent color of said OLIVE B. KING. 

